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P14


Park Word


APRIL 2016


4 Park Hoppin’ Lazin’ with Paul Ruben l


5 Park Bloggin’ Dennis Speigel on seasonal events


6-20 Park News Your monthly round-up


22 Park Bloggin’ Why park photography will never die


24 IAAPI Expo Photo special


26-27 IAAPA EMEA Q&A/Spring Forum preview


30 Gale Force Cover story


34 Adventure Land at Wildlife World Attraction profile


36-37 Galactica Ride profile


38-39 Shanghai Sky Ring Ride profile


41-42 UK Manufacturers & Suppliers Special feature


44-47 Latin America Park profile


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53 Show Guide Calendar


54 Web Guide Online resources


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Until about 10 years ago, IAAPA – the International Association of Amusment Parks and Attractions – was still perceived in some quarters as being a bit too US-centric. Yet after acquiring the trade shows Asian Attracctions Expo and Euro Attractions Show (EAS), the association expanded its footprint in both continents, as well as Latin America. With permanent staff in each location and advisory committees comprised of numerous industry professionals volunteering their time and expertise, IAAPA is truly thinking and acting local, at least on three continents and those where to date there has been most parks and attraction activity. For the record, IAAPA's Asia-Pacific office in Hong Kong also serves members in Australasia, but until recently there was no formal contact point for attraction operators or suppliers in either the Middle East or Africa. Yet the European office in Brussels is now that point of contact as IAAPA Europe becomes IAAPA EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). The EMEA acronym is already used by several


organisations to categorise this geographical but quite disparate region. With projects slowly bubbling under in Africa and real industry activity happening right now in the Middle East – but market maturity still some way off – I can understand why IAAPA decided to serve these markets under the same umbrella as Europe, but not yet establish a permanent base in either. Yet I have found myself asking the question: what does a small family-run park in Europe [the backbone of the industry here] have in common with a multi-billion resort project in the Middle East built by, say, a property developer? In fact I asked that question, or a version of it, to Karen Staley, IAAPA's senior vice-president of IAAPA EMEA (read our interview on page 26). “The attractions industry is a global community,” says


Karen. “Visitors to small family owned attractions are also visiting attractions in other parts of the world including the Middle East. All attractions can learn from each other to offer more to their guests.” So there you have it; it is the very differences that such opeators have that makes IAAPA EMEA the perfect conduit for them to share their experiences for the good of the industry. And where better to do that than at the association's 5th regional Spring Forum next month in northern Italy. All the details you need are on page 29. See you there.


Owen Ralph – editor


Editor: Owen Ralph (+44 161 438 2934) parkworld@btopenworld.com


North American Editor: Paul Ruben (+1 585 381 1012) parkw@rochester.rr.com


Contributors this issue:


Dennis Speigel, John Davies, Astrid Gonzalez


Sales Manager: Mark Burgess (+44 1622 699124) mburgess@datateam.co.uk


Publication Manager: Jacqui Hunter (+44 1622 699106) jhunter@datateam.co.uk


THIS MONTH’S COVER SHOT: Gale Force at Playland’s Castaway Cove is one of two new S&S – Sansei rollercoasters launching this spring in New Jersey. This, the manufacturer’s first ever 3L (Triple Launch) El Loco coaster, is big news for this family-run park. Read more about this and the 4D Free Spin coaster S&S has built for Six Flags Great Adventure starting on page 30.


www.engineeringexcitement.com


Publishing Director: Paul Ryder pryder@datateam.co.uk


Managing Director: Parvez Kayani p.kayani@datateam.co.uk


Publication Secretary: APRIL 2016 • ISSN 1462-4796


© Copyright 2015. All materials in this publication remain the copyright of Datateam Business Media Ltd and no part of it may be reproduced without the written permission of the proprietors. A request to insert an advertisement is deemed to be an acceptance of Datateam Business Media Ltd’s conditions of trading, copies of which are available on request.


Annual subscription (11 issues): UK £67, overseas £161 +44 1825 765 250 datateam@pmps.info


Ashley Parnell (+44 1622 699109) parkworld@datateam.co.uk


Member of:


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